Pattern means for circular knitting machines



A ril 19, 1966 R. M. JANDA ETAL 3,246,486

PATTERN MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Feed Na. 4 flea A/a. Feed No. 2

INVENTOR.

, P/charo M. Jana a BY James 0 Ma er IVER/VD April 19, 1966 3,246,486

PATTERN MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES R. M. JANDA ETAL 5 Sheds-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1959 INVENTOR. Richard M. Jam/a BY James 0. Mayer jflfiw ATTORNEY April 19, 1966 v R. M. JANDA E'IIAL' 3,246,485

PATTERN MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. R/charo M Jana a BY James D. Mayer April 1966 R. M. JANDA ETAL 3,246,486

PATTERN MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

INVENTOR.

Richard M Jana a BY James D Mayer JIM/7 A NORA/E) April 19, 1966 R. M. JANDA ETAL PATTERN MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. Pic/2am M. Jana a BY 21%? Moer 3,246,486 PATTERN MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Richard M. Janda, Mount Penn, Reading, and James D. Moyer, Wyomissing, Pa., assignors to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pan, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 6, 1959, Ser. No. 825,073 6 (Ilaims. (ill. 66-50) This invention relates to multifeed circular knitting machines, and more particularly to means in such machines for selectively controlling the needles in forming suture joined patterned areas in tubular fabrics for hosiery and the like.

In multifeed circular knitting machines of the type for reciprocatorily knitting tubular fabrics having solid color pattern areas, generally referred to as Argyle patterns, the needles are selectively operated at each of the feeds to form the pattern areas in complementary relation with respect to each other and to join the sutures of the areas to each other. In the usual practice the needles to be operated at each feed are selected by pattern jacks having a butt arrangement covering the outline of the pattern areas to be formed and the butts of the jacks are acted on in each direction of reciprocation by a separate group of selecting levers, one lever of each group being adapted to engage a butt at each of the butt levels provided on the jacks. The operation of the selecting levers of each group are in turn controlled by a pattern device which is provided with operating jacks or tricks having a butt arrangement corresponding to the outline of the pattern area.

Heretofore, in order to form the edges or sutures of the pattern areas along gradually diverging and converging diagonal lines in relation to both the wales and courses of the areas, the butts on the pattern jacks were arranged along either a single diagonal line or along converging diagonal lines. the jacks, with the butts arranged along a single diagonal line, only one jack was provided with a butt at any one level and where the butts were arranged along the converging lines one jack in each line was provided with a butt at the same level. While this arrangement of butts provided for single jack selection at one or at opposite side edges of the pattern areas, the width of the pattern areas was limited to a number of jacks equal only to the number of butt levels available for selection. Consequently, where pattern areas of greater width were required, it was necessary to provide two adjacent jacks in either the single line or in each of the diverging lines with butts at the same level which resulted in the undesirable selection of a pair of jacks at one or the other side edge or simultaneously at both side edges of the pattern areas. Hence, while the single jack selection provided the most desirable control of the sutures, the number of jacks available in the overall selection was undesirably limited. On the other hand the selection of two jacks at a time although permitting selection over a greater number of jacks resulted in the formation of undesirable sutures.

It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide means in a multifeed circular knitting machine for overcoming the above noted and other objections in the selection of the needles in forming suture joined pattern areas in tubular fabrics.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means in a circular knitting machine for controlling the selection of the needles in forming suture joined pattern areas, which means operates to individually select a first group of the needles for operation and to then continue the selection of the first selected needles as a group while To obtain the most desirable control of 3,246,436 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 one or more additional groups of needles are individually selected for operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in a multifeed circular knitting machine for individually selecting the needles for operation at each of the feeds, which means acts to individually select the needles of a first group for operation while other groups of the needles are maintained inactive and to individually select the needles of one or more of the other groups while continuing the selection of the needles first selected as a group.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means in a circular knitting machine for individually selecting the needles in forming pattern areas in tubular fabrics, which means includes groups of pattern jacks and pattern means for individually selecting the jacks of one of the groups and for maintaining the jacks of the other groups inactive, the pattern means also acting to inactivate the jacks of the first group and to individually select the jacks of the other groups. The first mentioned means also includes auxiliary jacks associated with the jacks of the first mentioned group of pattern jacks and means for operating the auxiliary jacks as a group to continue the selection of the needles when the pattern jacks of the first mentioned group are inactive.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and coopv eration of parts, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a multifeed circular knitting machine diagrammatically showing the needle and jack cylinders and pattern means for selectively controlling pattern jacks for the needles at each of the machine feeds and including one form of auxiliary selecting means according to the invention for acting on the pattern jacks;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, of the auxiliary selector means for operating the pattern jacks at one feed of the machine during reciprocatory strokes of the needle and jack cylinders in both directions;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanism of FIG. 2 taken in the direction of the arrow 3;

FIG. 4 is a view of a stocking having a patterned portion formed by the selecting means of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view of the pattern portion of the stocking opened along a vertical line at the rear of the stocking;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the pattern jacks at one feed of the machine together with the operating pattern for the jack selecting means;

FIG. 8 is a developed view of the needle and jack operating cams at one feed of the machine as seen from the outside of the needle cylinder;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing a modified form of auxiliary selector means for the pattern jacks;

FIG. 10 is a view on an enlarged scale of certain of the mechanism of FIG. 9 taken in the direction of the arrows 1tl-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the mechanism as seen from the right of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line l3-13 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating another arrangement of the pattern jacks and the operating pattern for the jack selecting means.

The mechanism of the instant invention is preferably associated with a multifeed circular knitting machine of the type disclosed in the application of Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial No. 329,801, filed January 6, 1953, now Patent No. 3,136,145, issued July 9, 1964, and in the corresponding Britist Patent No. 790,141 published February 5, 1958, hereinafter collectively referred to as the Coile disclosure, to which reference may be made.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 8 of the drawings, the machine shown is of the type adapted for both rotary and reciprocatory operation and includes a needle cylinder having slots in which needles 16 are sidably mounted, and a stationary sinker cap 17 having sinkers (not shown) cooperating with the needles in forming tubular knit fabric. The machine is provided with four feeds or knitting stations disposed around the needle cylinder 15, feeds Nos. 1, 2 and 4 being shown in FIG. 1 but feed No. 3, which is positioned directly in back of and at the opposite side of the needle cylinder from feed No. 1, not appearing in the figure. Each of the feeds includes selectively operated guide fingers 18 for feeding yarns to the needles and needle operating cams for forming the yarns into stitches which are disposed around the needle cylinder 15. The needle operating cams (FIG. 8) include a left stitch cam 20 which is operative in the reverse or clockwise direction during reciprocatory movements and a right stitch cam 21 which is operative during forward or counterclockwise movements during both rotary and reciprocatory movements of the machine. Intermediate the left and right stitch cams is a center cam 22 which is adapted to move the needles 16 to a yarn taking level after their being moved to latch clearing level in a manner hereinafter set forth. The cams shown in FIG. 8 are those identified with feed No. 1 but it is to be understood that similar cams are also employed at each of the other feeds of the machine.

Associated with the needle cylinder 15 and having slots aligned with the slots in the needle cylinder is a plurality of jack cylinders indicated at 25 to 29, inclusive (FIGS. 1 and 6). Jack cylinder 25, herein referred to as the master jack cylinder, and jack cylinders 26, 27, 28 and 29, designated as pattern jack cylinders, are provided with jacks which are selected and operated in the manner hereinafter set forth. All of the jacks in the master jack cylinder, herein referred to as master jacks 30, are of the rocking type and are provided with lower butts for engagement with left and right raising cams 31 and 32, respectively, at each of the four feeds, cam 31 acting to raise all of the master jacks, which in turn move the needles to latch clearing level, during rotary operation of the machine, and acting to raise selected ones of these jacks and their associated needles during reciprocatory operation of the machine in the forward direction. Cam 32 on the other hand acts to raise selected jacks and their associated needles during reciprocatory strokes of the machine only in the reverse direction. Also acting on upper butts of the master jacks at each of the feeds is a cam 33 which returns the jacks raised by the cams 31 or 32 to their lowered position in a manner more fully set forth in said Coile disclosure. Certain of the jacks 30 are also provided with pattern butts which are acted on by levers 35 of a left pattern device 36 in the forward strokes of reciprocatory knitting and similar levers 37 of a right pattern device 4% at feed No. 1 to selectively control the needles during formation of the heel and toe portions of the stockings.

As diagrammatically shown in FIG. 8 left and right lower guard cams 41 and 42, respectively, are provided for engaging the lower butts on the master jacks 311* to press unselected jacks away from the raising cams 31 and 32 to thereby prevent such unselected jacks from raising their associated needles to latch clearing level. Left and right presser cams 45 and 46, respectively, are also provided to engage upper portions of the master jacks 30 to rock the lower butts on the jacks outwardly to engage the raising earns 31 and 32. Similar guard and presser cams are also provided at each of the other three feeds. During rotary operation of the machine the forward presser cams act at each feed to press the lower butts of the master jacks outwardly to engage the appropriate raise cams and all of the needles are raised to take and knit the yarn fed at the respective feeds. During reciprocatory knitting to form the heel and toe portions of the stockings, the lower guard cams at feeds 2, 3 and 4 act to hold all of the master jacks 31) away from the raising cams thereby maintaining all of the needles inactive at these feeds. At feed No. 1, the presser cams 45 and 46 act during opposite strokes of knitting to press the lower butts of the jacks 30 out into the path of the raising earns 31 or 32. However, before the butts engage the raising cams, the butts of these jacks which are not to be raised are again pressed in by the levers 35 or 37 to miss the cams. Consequently, only the master jacks not returned to inactive position by the levers 35 or 37 will raise their associated needles to take and knit yarn at feed No. 1 to form the heel and toe portions.

The jacks in each of the pattern jack cylinders 26, 27, 28 and 29 are divided into two groups, jacks 48 of one of the groups being of the pattern or rocking type and having an appropriate butt arrangement which is operative to control the operation of the needles at only one of the f our feeds in forming the pattern areas of the stocking. The other group of jacks in each of the jack cylinders and indicated at 49 are of the non-rocking type and are not adapted for selection except as hereinafter set forth. In the instant machine the pattern jacks 48 in cylinder 26 control the needles at feed No. 4, the jacks 48 in cylinder 27 control the needles of feed No. 3, the jacks 48 in cylinder 28 control the needles at feed No. 2 and the jacks 48 in cylinder 29 control the needles at feed No. 1. The group of pattern or rocking jacks 48 in the jack cylinder 29 which controls the needles for forming the pattern areas at feed No. 1, and the pattern jacks in the other pattern jack cylinders for the other feeds, are provided with lower butts which are acted on by left and right cams 47 and 50, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8, to raise these jacks and the master jacks and the latter are in turn raised by the earns 31 or 32 to raise the associated needles to latch clearing level, as hereinbefore set forth. The group of pattern jacks for feed No. 1 is also acted on by presser cams which are similar to the presser cams 45 and 46 at the master jack level to move the lower butts of these jacks into the path of the raise cams 47 and 50. The pattern jacks 48 are also provided with pattern butts which are adapted to be engaged by levers which are operated by left and right pattern devices, similar to the attern devices 36 and 411, to move the unselected ones of the jacks out .of the path of the cams 47 and 50. The groups of pattern jacks in the jack cylinders 26, 27 and 28 for operation at the other three feeds are operated by earns similar to cams 47 and Stl and are acted on by presser cams and pattern devices in the same manner as the pattern jacks for feed No. 1.

Heretofore in forming :solid color pattern areas with the above described mechanism, the needles are commonly controlled by a single group of pattern jacks with the pattern or operating but-ts thereof arranged along a s ngle diagonal line or along a pair of converging diagonal lines. Preferably only one jack is provided with a butt at any one of the operating butt levels in the single diagonal line arrangement or one jack in each of the converging diagonal lines is provided with a butt at the same operating level so that opposite sutures of the pattern areas may be increased and decreased in single needle steps. However, due to the limited number of operating butt levels available for selection, the single jack selection undesirably limits the width of the pattern area which may be formed. Consequently, where Wider pattern areas are required, a pair of adjacent jacks must be provided with butts on each of the operating butt levels which results in the less desirable formation of the sutures in two needle steps.

In accordance with the instant invention, means are provided which not only permits individual selection of the pattern jacks but also permits such single jack selection to be extended over an increased number of jacks to thereby permit the formation of pattern areas of greater width. For this purpose the pattern jacks 48 in the jack cylinder 29 for controlling the needles at feed No. 1 are divided into separate groups which are adapted to be operated independently of each other. Each of the pattern jacks of one' group herein designated as main group 51 (FIG. 7), is provided with an operating butt 52 with the butts of the group being arranged, in the same 'manner Ihereinbefore set forth, along a diagonal linewith the number of jacks in the group being equal to the number of butt levels. The butt at each level is engaged and operated by a differentone of the selecting levers 35 of the left pattern device 36 and a corresponding lever 37 of the right pattern device 40. Each jack 48 of the main group 51 is also provided with a butt 55 which is positioned at the same level and which is adapted to be engaged by one of the levers 35 and a corresponding lever 37 of the pattern devices 36 and 40, respectively.

The jack cylinder 29 is also provided with auxiliary groups of jacks 56 and 57, the groups of jacks 56 and 57 being positioned at opposite sides of the main group of jacks 51. As will be seen in FIG. 7 each of the jacks in the group 56 is provided with a'butt 60 and each jack in the group 57 is provided with a butt 61. The butts 64) on the jacks of group 56 are arranged at levels corresponding to the levels of the butts 52 on the jacks in one portion of the group 51 and the but-ts 61 on the jacks of group 57 are arranged at levels corresponding to the levels of the butts 52 on the jacks in another portion of the group 51. In order to prevent the select-ion of the jacks in the auxiliary groups 56 and 57 by the levers 35 and 37, respectively, at the same time that these lever-s are selecting jacks of the group 51, each of the jacks in the auxiliary groups is provided with a butt 62, and all of the butts 62 are positioned at the same level below the level of the butts 55 on the jacks of group 51. The butts 62 are adapted to be acted on by a further selecting lever 35 of the pattern device 36 and a corresponding lever 37 of the pattern device 40, in a manner hereinafter set forth.

At the start of the formation of a pattern area, for example a diamond, as knitted at feed No. 1, the selecting lever 35 of the forward acting pattern device 36 and the corresponding lever 37 of the reverse acting pattern device 40 for the butts 55 of the jacks of group 51 in the jack cylinder 29 are moved to inactive position so that the butts 55 are not engaged by these levers. Also the levers 35 and 37 of the pattern devices 36 and 40, respectively, for acting on the butts 62 of the jacks of both groups 56 and 57 are in active position to move these jacks to inactive position in relation to the raise cams 47 and 50 in opposite directions of reciprocation. Also at this time the two levers 35 of the pattern device 36 corresponding to the butts 52 on the center two jacks of the group 51, which two jacks will control the needles at the upper point of the diamond, are in inactive position and the remaining levers 35 acting on the butts 52. of the other jacks of the group 51 are in active position. During the first reciprocatory movement of the machine, which is in the forward direction, all of the pattern jacks in the cylinder 29 are moved into the path of the raise cam 47 by the left pres'ser cam at feed No. l and the active levers 35 then act to move the jacks of the groups 56 and 57 and all of the jacks of the group 51 with the exception of the two center jacks, to inactive position. The two center jacks are thereupon raised by the raise cam and the master jacks corresponding to the two needles are raised by the raising cam 31 to move the associated needles to latch clearing level and these two needles then pass through the knitting cams to take yarn and form it into stitches, namely the stitches at the upper point of the diamond. During the next reciprocatory stroke of the machine, which is in the reverse direction, the right pattern device 40 controls the levers 37 so that three jacks of the group 51, including two center jacks activated in the forward stroke, are raised by the raise cam 50 and the corresponding three needles are raised as above set forth to form stitches. During subsequent knitting strokes first in the forward and then in the reverse direction, additional levers 35 and 37 are moved to inactive positions until all of the jacks in the group 51 are in action to move the corresponding needles through the knitting cams to form stitches.

Following the last reciprocatory stroke in which all of the jacks in the group 51 are in action, which is in the forward direction, the left and right pattern devices 36 and 40 are operated to move the selecting levers 35 and 37, respectively, aligned with the butts 55 on the pattern jacks 48 to active position to engage these butts 55 and press the corresponding pattern jacks to inactive posi tions during strokes of the cylinder in opposite directions, the levers 35 and 37 aligned with the butts 62 on the jacks 48 of groups 56 and 57 are moved to inactive position and all of the levers 35 and 37 aligned with the butts 60 and 61 of the jacks of groups 56 and 57, respectively, except the lever 37 aligned with the butt 60 of the jack next adjacent to the left jack of the group 51 and indicated at 63 are moved to active position. During the next reciprocatory stroke, which is in the reverse direction, the levers 37 move all of the jacks of the group 56 except the jack 63 to inactive position and this jack is raised by the raise cam 50 and the corresponding needle is raised by the corresponding jack as hereinbefore set forth to form a stitch. At this time, all of the jacks of group 51 are moved to inactive position by engagement of the lever 37 wit-h the butts 55. However, to continue the formation of the pattern area, the needles corresponding to the jacks of the group 51 must also be raised to form stitches until the jacks of the group 51 are again returned to action as hereinafter set forth.

In order to continue the selection of the needles corresponding to the inactivated jacks of the group 51 so that these needles are also raised to pass through the knitting cams with the needles selected by the jacks of groups 56 and 57, means are provided for raising the master jacks corresponding to the jacks of group 51 as a group to the same level to which they are raised by the cams 47 and 50 during selection of the jacks of group 51; from another source and this group of master jacks together with the master jacks selected and raised through the jacks of groups 56 and 57 are then raised by the cams 31 and 32 as hereinbef-ore set forth. One means for this purpose includes a group 65 of the non-rocking jacks 49 in the jack cylinder 27 associated with the feed No. 3 and which are aligned with and correspond in number to the inactivated jacks of group 51. Each of the jacks 49 of the group 65 are provided with a lobe or butt 66 (FIGS. 6 and 7) at the same level and the butts 66 extend beyond and are positioned at a level above the pattern butts on the pattern jack-s48 in the cylinder 27. The jacks of group 65 are adapted to be raised by engagement of the butts 66 during forward reciprocatory movements of the cylinder with an inclined camming surface 67 of a cam plate 68 carried on a lever which is pivotally mounted on a stud 69 carried in afixed part of the machine (FIGS. 2 and 3). The lever 70 is connected by link 71 to one arm 72 of a lever 75 pivoted on a fixed part of the machine. Lever 75 has a second arm 81 which is provided with a follower portion 82 for engagement with one or more cam blocks 85 on a pattern drum 86 for holding the lever 70 and cam plate 68 in inactive position out of the path of the butts 66.

The jacks of group 65 are raised during reverse reciprocatory strokes by engagement of the butts 66 with a camming surface 87 of a cam plate 88 carried on a lever 90 also pivotally mounted on a stud 89 in a fixed part of the machine (FIG. 2). The lever 91 is connected by a link 91 to one arm 92 of a lever 95 pivotally mounted on a fixed part of the machine. A second arm 96 of the lever 95 is provided with a follower portion 97 for engagement with cam blocks 100 on a pattern drum 101 to hold the lever 90 and cam plate 88 in inactive position out of the path of the butts 66. Springs 102 connected between the arms 72 and 92 of the levers 75 and 95, respectively, and fixed parts of the machine bias the follower portion 82 of the lever 75 and the follower portion 97 of the lever 95 toward their associated pattern drums.

Following the last selection of the jacks of the group 51 and the inactivation of these jacks by the pattern devices 36 and 46, as hereinbefore set forth, the cam blocks on the pattern drums 86 and 101 are removed from engagement with levers 75 and 95, respectively, to permit the cam plates 67 and 87 to be moved toward active position to engage the butts 66 of the jacks of group 65. However, in order to avoid engagement of the butts 66 with both of the cam plates 67 and 87 at this time, it is essential that only the cam plate which is to operate in the direction of the cylinder movement is moved to activethe cam plates 67 and 87 during reciprocatory strokes in opposite directions the free ends of the arms 72 and 92 of the levers 75 and 95, respectively, are adapted to alternately engage a high surface 165 and a low surface 106 on a cam 1117. Cam 107 is mounted on a shaft 110 which corresponds to and is operated in the same manner as shaft 176 of said Coile disclosure. Hence, during amovement of the machine in the forward direction arm 72 is in engagement with the low surface 106 to position the cam plate 67 for engagement with the butts 66 and arm 92 is in engagement with the high surface 105 to hold the cam plate 87 in inactive position. In the reverse direction of movement of the machine the position of the cam plates 67 and $7 is reversed by the cam 167.

During subsequent strokes of the needle cylinder 15 in opposite directions, the levers 35 and 37 are progressively moved to inactive position to bring the jacks of groups 56 and 57 into action with the jacks 49 of the group 65. When all of the jacks of the groups 56 and 57 have been progressively moved to action, which corresponds to the widest portion of the pattern area being formed, the procedure is reversed and the jacks of these two groups are progressively removed from action by the selective operation of the levers 35 and 37 of the pattern devices 36 and 40, respectively, and the jacks of the group 65 are continued in operation by one or the other of the cam plates 67 or 87 during strokes of the cylinder 15 in opposite directions. Following removal of the last jack of the groups 56 and 57 from action, the cam plates 67 and 87 are moved to inactive position by their associated pattern drums, the levers 35 and 37 of the pattern devices 36 and 46, respectively, aligned with the butts 62 of the jacks of groups 56 and 57, are moved to active position to maintain these jacks inactive and the levers aligned with the butts 55 of the jack group 51 are moved to inactive position thereby permitting the progressive removal of the jacks of group 51 by the action of the levers on the butts 52.

The foregoing description of the operation of the jack-s and needles is associated with the feed No. 1 of the machine for forming a full diamond pattern area 111 as indicated at the rear of a stocking 1 12 (FIGS. 4 and the main jack group 51 and auxiliary jack groups 56 and '57 being carried in the cylinder 29 and the butts 66 being carried by the group 65 of non-pattern jacks in the cylinder 27 associated with the feed No; 3. Full diamond 115 at the front of the stocking 112 is formed in the same manner at the feed No. 3, the groups of pattern jacks being carried in the cylinder 27 and a group 65 of non-patterning jacks 49 having but-ts 66 preferably being carried in the cylinder 29. Feed No. 2 at which upper and lower half diamonds 116 and 117, respectively, are formed and feed No. 4 at which upper and lower half diamonds 126 and 121, respectively, are formed are provided with pattern jack arrangements similar to the pattern jack arrangement at feeds Nos. 1 and 3 and carried in the cylinders 28 and 26, respectively. The group 65 of non-patterning jacks for feed No. 2 is carried in the cylinder 26 and a similar group 65 of jacks 49 for feed No. 4 is carried in the cylinder 28.

The jacks are selected and operated at feeds Nos. 1 and 3 to gradually increase and then decrease the number of Working needles in forming the rear and front full diamond-s at these feeds in the same manner as above set forth in connection with the operation of the jacks at feed No. 1. At feeds 2 and 4 however, the selection of the jacks to form the upper and lower half diamonds is reversed. With the greatest number of jacks in operation at the start of the upper half diamonds, the number of jacks is gradually reduced to the narrowest portion and then gradually increased to form the widest portion of the lower half diamonds.

In FIGS. 9 to 13, there is shown a modified form of mechanism for acting on the butts 66 of the group 65 of non-patterning jacks 49 associated with each feed of the machine said modified mechanism including a cam plate having a cam rise 126 (FIGS. 9, l1 and 12) for engaging the butts 66 during forward strokes of knitting and a cam plate 127 having a cam rise 130 (FIG. 9) for engaging the butts during reverse strokes of knitting.

-The cam plate 125 is pivotally mounted on a shoulder portion 131 of a stud 132 between an enlarged head portion 135 of the stud and an arm 136 in which the stud is threadably carried (FIG. 13). Mounted on an upper portion 137 of the stud 132 between the portion 135 and a washer 141 and secured to the portion 137 by a screw 142 are the coils of a tension spring 145. An end 146 of the spring is connected to the washer 141 and the other end coil is formed into a loop 147 adapted to engage a pin 150 carried in the cam plate 125. The end coils of the spring 145 are arranged to normally bias the cam plate 125 clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 9 and 12, against a stop pin 1'51 carried in the arm 136 and to permit movement in a counterclockwise direction as hereinafter set forth.

Arm 136 forms a part of a lever 152 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 155 carried in a plate 156 secured in fixed position on the machine (FIGS. 9 and 11). A second arm 157 is connected by a link 160 to one arm 161 of a lever 162 pivotally mounted on a fixed part of the machine. A second arm 165 of the lever 162 is provided with follower portion 166 which is adapted to be engaged by a cam block 167 mounted on the pattern drum 86 to move the lever 152 and cam plate 125 to inactive position. A spring 170 connected between the arm 161 of the lever 162 and a fixed part of the machine (FIG. 9) biases the follower portion 166 toward the pattern drum 66. Movement of the lever 152 and cam plate 125 to inner or active positions, when the follower portion 166 of the lever 162 rides off of the cam block 167, is limited by engagement of a stop screw 171 adjustably carried in a portion 172 of the arm 136 with the edge of the plate 156 (FIGS. 9 and 10).

The cam plate 127 is pivotally mounted on an arm 175 of a lever 176 in the same manner that cam plate 125 is mounted on the arm 136 of lever 152. However, where the cam plate 125 is biased clockwise to its stopped position against the pin 151, cam plate 127 is biased counterclockwise to its stopped position against a similar pin in the arm 175. The lever 1 76 is mounted on a stud 177 carried in a plate 180 secured in fixed position on the machine. The lever 1-76 has a second arm '181 which is connected by means of a link 182 to one arm 185 of a lever 186. The lever 186 is pivotally mounted on a fixed part of the machine and is provided with a second arm 187 having a follower portion 190 adapted to engage a cam block 191 on the pattern drum 101 to move the lever 176 and cam plate 127 to inactive position. A spring 192 connected between the arm 185 of the lever 186 and a fixed part of the machine biases the lever 176 and cam plate 127 to active position. The inner or active position of the lever and cam plate is controlled by engagement of a stop screw 195 with the edge of the plate 180 (FIG. 9).

When in active position, the 'cam plates125 and 127 act in the same manner as cam plates 68 and 88 to engage the butts66 to raise the jacks 49 of the group 65. However, where it is necessary to move one of the levers 70 or '90 and its associated cam plate to inactive position while the other acts on the butts 66, to avoid engagement of the butts with the cam plate of the inactive lever in each direction of movement of the cylinder 15, this is not true of the presently described modification and both levers 152 and '176 can remain in active position during reciprocatory strokes in both directions. Thus, as the needle cylinder '15 is reciprocated in one direction or the other, the butt-s 66 will engage the leading cam plate and be raised thereby and after being lowered by the lowering cam, as-hereinbefore setforth, will also'engage the back of the trailing cam plateto swing it to inactive "position on its lever and permit the butts to pass without damage. When the last'butt 66 has passed the trailing cam plate the spring again returns it to active position on the lever at which time it is in position to engage and raise the butts during the return stroke of the cylinder 15.

The foregoing mechanism and its-operation has been described in connection with the selection of a main group of patternjacks and an auxiliary group of jacks at opposite sides of the main group'by the same groups of selecting levers. However, one or more additional auxiliary groups of jacks may be provided at opposite sides of the main group, ai further additional group 200 being positioned to the left of group 56 and a further additional group 201 being positioned to the right of group 57 as shown in FIG. 14. The jacks in the. group 200 are provided with butts 202 which are arranged at levels corresponding to the levels of the butts 52 on the jacks in one portion of group 5.1 and the jacks in the group 201 are provided with butts'2'03 which are arranged at levels corresponding to 'the'butts S2on the jacks in another portion of the group '51 and all of the groups of jacks may be independently selected by the same groups of selecting levers. To control the operation of the additional auxiliary groups of jacks 200 and 201, the jacks are also provided with butts 204 similar to the butts 55 or 62 and selecting leversx35 and 37 of the pattern devices 36 and 40, respectively, maintain such groups inactivein the s-amemanner as described above in connection with the auxiliary groups. 56 and 57. To

continue the operation of the master jacks and needles corresponding'to jackgroups '56 and 57 when the additional auxiliary groups of jacks 200 and 201 are being individually selected additional groups 205' of nondifferent active positions by their associated main pattern drums, one position inwhic'n only the main group of butts 66 are engaged and another position to engage both the butts of the main group and the shorter butts 206 of the additional groups 205.

Having thus described our invention in full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly 1'0 adhered to and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, and knitting cams for operating said needles during rotary movement of said cylinder, in combination with means for causing selected needles to pass through said knitting cams during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions, including a main group of pattern jacks associated with a main group of said selected needles, other groups of pattern jacks associated with other groups of said selected needles, means for individually selecting the jacks of said main and other groups, said selecting means also acting to inactivate the jacks of said other groups during selection of the jacks of said main group and to inactivate the jacks of said main group during selection of the jacks of said other groups, and means for continuing the operation of said main group of needles during selection of said other groups of jacks including auxiliary jacks associated with said main group of needles, cam means for operating said auxiliary jacks as a group during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in one direction, cam means for operating said auxiliary jacks as a group during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in the opposite direction, means for moving said cam means from-inactive to active position, and means for moving the cammeans which is operative in strokes of said cylinder in one direction from active to inactive positions during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in the opposite direction, said last mentioned means comprising said auxiliary jacks.

2. In a circular knitting machine having a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, and knitting cams for operating said needles during rotary movement of said cylinder, in combination with means for causing selected needles to pass through said knitting cams during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions, including a main group of pattern jacks associated with a main group of said selected needles, additional groups of pattern jacks associated with additional groups of said selected needles, means for individually selecting the jacks of said main and additional groups, said selecting means also acting to inactivate the jacks of said additional groups during selection of the pattern jacks of said main group and to inactivate the jacks of said main group during selection of the jacks of said additional groups, and means for continuing the operation of said main group of needles during selection of said additional groups of jacks including auxiliary jacks associated with said main group of needles, cam plates for raising said auxiliary jacks as a group during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions, levers on which said cam plates are mounted, means for moving said levers and cam plates from inactive to active positions, and additional means for alternately moving said levers and cam plates between active and inactive positions during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, and knitting cams for operating said needles during rotary movement of said cylinder, in combination with means for causing selected needles to pass through said knitting cams during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions including a main group of pattern jacks associated with a main group of said selected needles, additional groups of pattern jacks associated with additional groups of said selected needles, means for individually selecting the jacks of said main and additional groups, said selecting means also acting to inactivate the jacks of said additional groups during selection of the jacks of said main group and to inactivate the jacks of said main group during selection of the jacks of said additional groups, and means for continuing the operation of said main group of needles during selection of said additional groups of jacks including auxiliary jacks associated with said main group .of needles, and means for operating said auxiliary jacks as a group during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions including a cam member for operating said auxiliary jacks in each of said strokes of reciprocation in opposite directions, a lever on which said cam member is pivotally mounted, pattern means for moving said lever and cam member from inactive to active position, and means for moving the cam member for operating on said auxiliary jacks in strokes of reciprocation in one direction from active to inactive position on its lever during strokes of reciprocation in the opposite direction, said last mentioned means comprising said auxiliary jacks.

4. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, needles carried in said cylinder, knitting cams at each of said feeds for operating said needles during rotary and reciprocatory movements of said cylinder, in combination with means for operating selected needles at each of said feeds during reciprocatory movements of said cylinder including master jacks associated with said needles, cams for raising said master jacks to cause their associated needles to pass through said knitting cams, a main group of pattern jacks associated with a main group of said selected needles and associated master jacks, other groups of pattern jacks associated with other groups of said selected needles and associated master jacks, means for individually selecting the pattern jacks of said main and other groups to cause the associated master jacks to be raised by said raising cams, means including said selecting means for inactivating the pattern jacks of said other groups during selection of the pattern jacks of said main group, means including said selecting means for inactivating the pattern jacks of said main group during selection of the pattern jacks of said other groups, and means for continuing the operation of the needles of said main group during inactivation of the pattern jacks of said main group, said last mentioned means including auxiliary jacks associated with the needles and associated master jacks of said main group, cam plates for raising said auxiliary jacks as a group in each direction of reciprocatory movement of said cylinder to cause the main group of master jacks to be raised by said raising cams, pattern means for moving said cam plates between inactive positions and active positions to raise said auxiliary jacks, and additional means for moving the cam plates which is operative in one direction of reciprocatory movement of said cylinder from active to inactive position during the reciprocatory movement of said cylinder in the opposite direction.

5. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, needles in said cylinder, knitting cams at each of said feeds for operating said needles during rotary and reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder, in combination with means for operating selected needles at each of said feeds during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder, including master jacks associated with said needles, cams for raising said master jacks to cause their associated needles to pass through said knitting cams, a main group of pattern jacks associated with a main group of said selected needles and associated master jacks, other groups of pattern jacks associated with other groups of said selected needles and associated master jacks, means for individually selecting the pattern jacks of said main and other groups to cause the associated master jacks to be raised by said raising cams, means including said selecting means for inactivating the pattern jacks of said other groups during selection of the pattern jacks of said main group, means including said selecting means for inactivating the pattern jacks of said main group during selection of the pattern jacks of said other groups, and means for continuing the operation of the needles of said main group during inactivation of the pattern jacks of said main group, said last mentioned means including auxiliary jacks associated with the needles and associated master jacks of said main group, cam plates for raising said auxiliary jacks as a group during inactivation of the pattern jacks of said main group to cause the main group of master jacks to be raised by said raising cams, means for moving said cam plates from inactive to active positions, and means for moving said cam plates for raising said auxiliary jacks in strokes of reciprocation in one direction from active to inactive position during strokes of reciprocation in the opposite direction, said last mentioned means including a cam shaft rotatable in timed relation to the movement of said cylinder and means connected to said cam plates and operated by said cam shaft.

6. In a circular knitting machine having a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, and knitting cams for operating said needles during rotary movement of said cylinder, in combination with means for causing selected needles to pass through said knitting cams during reciprocatory strokes of said cylinder in opposite directions including master jacks associated with said needles, cams for raising said master jacks to cause their associated needles to pass through said knitting cams, a main group of pattern jacks associated with a main group of said selected needles and associated master jacks, a first additional pair of groups of pattern jacks associated with a first additional pair of needle groups and their associated master jacks, a second additional pair of groups of pattern jacks associated with a second additional pair of needle groups and their associated master jacks, means for individually selecting the pattern jacks of said main, first and second additional groups to cause the associated master jacks to be raised by said raising cams, said selecting means also acting to inactivate the pattern jacks of said first and second additional pairs of groups during selection of the jacks of said main group and to inactivate the pattern jacks of said main group and said first additional pair' of groups during selection of the second of said additional pair of groups, means for continuing'the operation of the needle groups associated with the inactivated pattern jacks of said main group and said first additional pair of groups during selection of the pattern jacks of said second additional pair of groups including a main group of auxiliary jacks associated with said main group of needles and associated master jacks, additional groups of auxiliary jacks associated withsaid first additional pair of groups of needles and associated master jacks, cam plates for raising said main and additional groups of auxiliary jacks to cause the associated master jacks to be raised by said raising cams, and pattern means for moving said cam plates from inactive to a first active position to raise only said main group of auxiliary jacks and to a second active position to raise both said main and additional groups of auxiliary jacks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,590,295 6/1926 Howie 66-50 1,969,853 8/1934 Page 6650 2,911,807 11/1959 Lombardi 66-50 2,939,302 6/ 1960 Letzerich 6643 2,995,910 8/1961 Levin 66-50 3,169,384 2/1965 Coile 6650 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,264 5/ 1940 Great Britain.

790,141 2/ 1958 Great Britain. 1,171,402 10/ 1958 France.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A CYLINDER, NEEDLES IN SAID CYLINDER, AND KNITTING CAMS FOR OPERATING SAID NEEDLES DURING ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID CYLINDER, IN COMBINATION WITH MEANS FOR CAUSING SELECTED NEEDLES TO PASS THROUGH SAID KNITTING CAMS DURING RECIPROCATORY STROKES OF SAID CYLINDER IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, INCLUDING A MAIN GROUP OF PATTERN JACKS ASSOCIATED WITH A MAIN GROUP OF SAID SELECTED NEEDLES, ADDITIONAL GROUPS OF PATTERN JACKS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL GROUPS OF SAID SELECTED NEEDLES, MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY SELECTING THE JACKS OF SAID MAIN AND ADDITIONAL GROUPS, SAID SELECTING MEANS ALSO ACTING TO INACTIVATIVE THE JACKS OF SAID ADDITIONAL GROUPS DURING SELECTION OF THE PATTERN JACKS OF SAID MAIN GROUP AND TO INACTIVATE THE JACKS OF SAID MAIN GROUP DURING SELECTION OF THE JACKS OF SAID ADDITIONAL GROUPS, AND MEANS FOR CONTINUING THE OPERATION OF SAID MAIN GROUP OF NEEDLES DURING SELECTION OF SAID ADDITIONAL GROUPS OF 